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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26241607">Rebooted Reality</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies'>IncendiaGlacies</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Gen, Jax-centric, Post-Crisis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:40:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,857</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26241607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jax’s life changed after the Crisis. He’s not sure if it’s for better or for worse. In the old timeline, Martin had died, but now, he had Rip Hunter to contend with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gideon/Jefferson "Jax" Jackson, Jefferson "Jax" Jackson &amp; Martin Stein, Rip Hunter &amp; Jefferson "Jax" Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Rebooted Reality</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>More of a writing exercise than anything really</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jax answered the door and gave the man a onceover. People like him didn’t visit Jax unless something was direly wrong. Catastrophically wrong.</p><p>“Can I help you?” Jax asked.</p><p>“Jefferson Jackson? My name is J’onn J’onzz, I’m from National City. I’m friends with Barry Allen.”</p><p>Jax sighed and let the man in warily. “Figured you’d come by at some point.”</p><p>“You know why I’m here?” he asked with surprise.</p><p>“World ending is sort of an annual thing, if you haven’t noticed.”</p><p>“But timelines and worlds converging isn’t as prevalent.”</p><p>“Maybe not to you.” Jax shrugged. “Former time traveller, alternate timelines and universes is what we do.”</p><p>J’onn nodded. “I take it you know about the Crisis of Infinite Earths?”</p><p>“My wife told me.”</p><p>For the first time J’onn took in the woman in the room and nodded at her. “And you know about this already because…”</p><p>“Alternate timelines is a bit of a hobby of mine,” she said with a wink.</p><p>J’onn could tell by a quick glance at her thoughts that this was not an average human. He turned back to Jax. “You already have your memories?”</p><p>“No. But she told me that there was a previous timeline. So, I got the gist.”</p><p>“The Legends and Mr. Allen stated you would be an individual who may benefit from previous memories. If you wish, I may fullfill them for you.”</p><p>Jax hesitated and looked at his wife. She smiled indulgently at him and walked over to squeeze his hand. “It’s entirely your choice,” she said easily. “Whatever you do, I will support you.”</p><p>Jax nodded, considering the offer. Did he really want to know? He’d already learned that Grey hadn’t lived in this other timeline. What if he’d never had Teeny? Never married his wife? Ignorance was bliss.</p><p>“Thanks for the offer, but I’m good,” he finally said.</p><p>J’onn nodded. “I respect your choice. Should you change your mind, I’ll be in National City, on this earth now.”</p><p>“Thanks for stopping by.”</p><p>“Do you want any tea before you leave?” Jax’s wife offered.</p><p>“No, thank you though.” J’onn smiled and took his leave.</p><p>Jax locked the door behind him and turned to his wife. “Do you think I should have asked?”</p><p>“I think you should get Teeny dressed and head to Martin’s. You know how he is about a schedule.”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah.” Jax rolled his eyes. “Always a stickler for time.”</p><p>“It wouldn’t hurt for you to be the same.”</p><p>“I’ll remember that.” He wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed her lightly. “In this other timeline, did Teeny…”</p><p>“She loved you very much and had a safe and happy childhood.”</p><p>“And, you and me?”</p><p>Gideon smiled softly and kissed him again. “I’m going to go wake Teeny now. Don’t want you to be late.”</p><p>“I love you,” Jax called as Gideon walked up the stairs.</p><p>She paused and looked back at him. “I love you too, very much.”</p><hr/><p>Jax didn’t know what had happened in the original timeline, and he didn’t particularly want to. In the new one though, after Grey had retired he’d quickly realized he didn’t have a place on the ship. Sometimes, he thought only Gideon would miss him. So he left. Martin had been upset with him at first, blamed his own retirement for Jax’s leaving but it wasn’t that.</p><p>He’d done the superhero thing. Now Jax wanted a new adventure.</p><p>Two weeks into his masters’ program, there was a knock on the door. Expecting Martin, he opened it and found a woman he hadn’t seen in ages on the other side. It had only been a month for him and much longer for Gideon.</p><p>“Going to let me in, Mr. Jackson?”</p><p>Mouth still hanging open, he stepped to the side and allowed Gideon in. She smirked at his reaction.</p><p>“So, what do you think?” she asked, twirling about.</p><p>“About?”</p><p>Gideon rolled her eyes. “Me, silly. Still disappointed I’m not a redhead?”</p><p>Jax crossed his arms and laughed before engulfing her in a hug. “You’re still gorgeous in my book.”</p><p>“Thought so.”</p><p>“So, human or android?”</p><p>“Can’t you tell?”</p><p>Slowly, he placed his fingers over her wrist, feeling her pulse under his touch. “Human?” Gideon nodded excitedly. “How?”</p><p>She shrugged. “Legends’ mishap and a little magic. The usual, really.”</p><p>Jax nodded knowingly. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>Gideon’s eyes dimmed. “Am I a bother? I just thought-”</p><p>“You’re not a bother, Gideon. I’m just surprised is all.”</p><p>Gideon wrung her hands and took a seat on the sofa. Jax followed her, placing a hand on her leg to calm her. She smiled gratefully. “I have nowhere else to go.”</p><p>“The team wouldn’t-”</p><p>“I’m sorry to say I’m not in touch with the former Legends. I remembered you retired around now, thought I’d come visit. Stay.”</p><p>“Why me?” What could Jax give her that someone else couldn’t? Ray had money. Martin had knowledge, a family. All Jax had was a mediocre apartment and semi-decent cooking skills.</p><p>Gideon looked down at her hands. “I don’t have anywhere else. Not since Captain Hunter…you were always my only friend. The only one to care about me.”</p><p>Jax squeezed her hand. “Well, you’d have to sleep on the couch for now cause I’m not giving up my bed even for a lady like you. But I’ve missed our conversations a lot.”</p><p>Her eyes brightened and she threw her arms around him. “Oh, thank you!” Jax patted her back good naturedly.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome.”</p><hr/><p>Physically, and probably mentally too, Gideon was older than Jax. He knew this in the way she looked, the way she nagged him to clean up. She was very much the AI she once was. Yet, being a new born human somehow put them on equal footing, Jax felt. The way he taught her to dance, introduced her to chocolate, brought her to meet his mother on Sunday dinners, watched her play with little Ronnie at Martin’s place, and she was smaller than he was, fitting in perfectly against his side under his arm.</p><p>It didn’t take long for Jax’s heart to flutter every time he saw Gideon, to feel an electric spark whenever they both reached for a spoon. He’d tried avoiding her but she’d simply dragged him out on the Waverider, claiming he was stressed and just needed a quick time jump. Despite trying to live in the twenty-first century, she missed her futuristic amenities. Jax had to admit, he missed the old girl too. It was always a joy working on her.</p><p>But Gideon was older and often always took the lead.</p><p>“You are attracted to me, yes?” Gideon asked as they ate their ice cream.</p><p>Jax choked on air. “What?”</p><p>“It was a yes or no question, Mr. Jackson.”</p><p>“I – yes.” There was no point in lying to a former lie detector.</p><p>Gideon smiled. “In which case I believe the time of the evening has come in which you should kiss me, yes?”</p><p>“I – what?”</p><p>“This is a date, is it not? Dinner, ice cream, stroll in the park. It is all very romantic. And every date ends with a kiss. I watched the movies, I know this.”</p><p>Jax smiled at the thought of her ideas of romance coming from chick flicks. “I want to kiss you but the bigger question is whether you want me to.”</p><p>Gideon tilted her head. “I thought that was rather obvious. Yes. I would very much like to kiss you.”</p><p>Jax leaned in and kissed her lips sweetly. “You know, if we’re gonna do this dating thing, you gotta start calling me Jax.”</p><p>“Jax,” she repeated. “I’ll work on it.”</p><p>Their relationship moved faster than even Jax could have predicted. But it made sense for them. Jax had already spent two and a half years getting to know Gideon in AI form. He knew he liked her sense of humor, how she took care of the laundry and let him clean. They worked.</p><p>A year later they were engaged. Married soon after. And then, their miracle of Martina was born.</p><p>It was the first time Jax had seen Gideon truly cry tears of happiness. She had kissed him and thanked him and he had held her close, unable to let his family go.</p><p>Then one day, Gideon woke up, a splitting migraine, babbling about time being wrong and alternate universes. It had taken multiple trips to Starlabs and the medbay on the Waverider until she’d finally gotten her thoughts in order, claiming that time had changed, that reality had changed. Jax hadn’t been able to ask more questions before she was already asking to hold Teeny again.</p><p>Then a week later, after they’d talked it out and Gideon’s sanity had returned, J’onn J’onzz knocked on the door.</p><hr/><p>For a couple of years, things were simple and normal again. Teeny grew day by day and followed both her parents around like a duckling. Jax showed her the ins and outs of cars, hoping that soon Gideon would allow them to upgrade to looking at the Waverider.</p><p>“Come on, Teeny! We’re going to Ronnie’s,” Gideon called.</p><p>“Yay!” Teeny ran upstairs to her room to pick out her favourite toys.</p><p>“I thought I was taking her?” Jax asked, kissing her cheek. Gideon smiled and squeezed his hand.</p><p>“Not today. You might find yourself otherwise preoccupied.”</p><p>Jax raised his eyebrow. It wasn’t surprising to hear Gideon’s cryptic words. He’d grown used to having a wife who had seen the future and remembered it, lived it as she stayed connected to the ship. That didn’t mean he had to like the mixed messages.</p><p>“Care to share.”</p><p>Gideon sighed and kissed him gently. “Just…if anyone comes by, you should help them.”</p><p>He stood dumbstruck even as Teeny kissed his cheek and left with her mother. Jax shook it off and tried to go back to work when he saw a portal open in his garage and Ava Sharpe stepped out.</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Jax asked with annoyance. The last time he’d seen her the Time Bureau and Legends weren’t on good terms. “And when are you from?” He’d left the team five years ago and yet she didn’t look a day older than when they’d met.</p><p>“The Legends need your help. I need you to come with me.”</p><p>Jax hesitated for a moment before recalling his wife’s words and nodded. “Give me a minute.”</p><p>If Gideon knew this was happening, he knew he’d be back, but Jax still left a note and took the necessities. They made a few stops, picking up some old friends before they headed for the Wild West.</p><hr/><p>Jax hadn’t thought of Rip Hunter in a long time. The man had recruited him and the Legends to stop Vandal Savage and rescue his family. When he’d finally succeeded, he’d bequeathed the ship to the Legends, leaving with his family. Jax always thought Gideon held a bit of a grudge against him for that. Her best friend had abandoned her.</p><p>Then a few months later, Miranda had found them again, tracked them down, explaining that Rip had been taken. They’d found him as Phil Gasmer, and then he’d turned evil against them. Jax had gone into his mind with Miranda, where he’d met Gideon for the first time, beautiful as ever. Rip stayed long enough to stop Doomworld from happening before leaving again. This time, five minutes later, time had broken and they’d met the Time Bureau. Jax learned that Director Eve Baxter had wiped Rip’s memories at his request and had settled down in an unknown time.</p><p>What he didn’t know, was that Rip Hunter would move right down the street from him.</p><p>Gideon avoided looking at the house or at the little boy that ran around in the yard. Jax wrapped his arms around her.</p><p>“You wanna move?”</p><p>Gideon snorted as she continued doing the dishes. “What a cowardly choice.”</p><p>“Nothing wrong with being a coward every now and then if you ask me.”</p><p>Gideon turned her head and kissed his cheek. “I appreciate the sentiment but it is unnecessary. Besides, Teeny is starting preschool next year and your mother will murder me if I take her son away.”</p><p>“True.” Jax sighed. “I don’t like seeing you like this. I know you hate him-”</p><p>“I don’t hate him. I could never hate him.” Gideon sighed and shook her head.</p><p>Jax’s heart clenched at the longing in her voice. He had always assumed she’d been a little in love with Rip. He’d never asked, didn’t want to know if he really was second or it was in his imagination. Jax stuffed his hands in his pockets.</p><p>“In the original timeline, what happened?”</p><p>Gideon was quiet for a long moment. “He sacrificed himself, idiot that he is.”</p><p>“And you were angry.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“And you hated him.”</p><p>“No. Never.”</p><p>Jax shook his head. “He’d deserve it if you did.” Sometimes, he thought Gideon cared too much for her own good.</p><p>“Perhaps, but I can’t change who I am.”</p><p>“I know.” Even if Jax sometimes wanted her to. Maybe then she would have spent less time with the Legends. It made his blood boil to hear how they had ignored her after his leaving.</p><p>“Mummy, Mummy, can we go pway in the pawk?” Teeny asked, waddling in with her dolls.</p><p>Gideon laughed and picked her up. “How about Daddy takes you today, hmm?”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>“Come on, baby girl.” Jax picked her up, giving Gideon a strict look that this conversation was far from over.</p><hr/><p>“Is Martina excited for preschool?” Martin asked.</p><p>Jax chuckled, moving his pawn forward on the board. “Can’t stop talking about it. It’s Gideon I’m worried about. She’s never had to give Teeny up for so long in the day, practically bursting into tears.”</p><p>“It’s always hard to let go of a child.”</p><p>Jax nodded, wondering how much of his old memories Martin remembered, before Lily. “Mom says the same thing. Says she was terrified of letting me go after losing Dad.”</p><p>“It’s a hurdle but she’ll overcome it. Gideon was quite skittish when she was first human, remember? Look how far she’s come now.”</p><p>Jax nodded absentmindedly.</p><p>“But that’s not the only problem, is it?” Martin asked knowingly.</p><p>“Rip moved in across the street.”</p><p>“Rip Hunter?”</p><p>“The one and the same.”</p><p>“And this is a problem? I thought his memories were erased by the Time Bureau anyway?”</p><p>Jax shrugged. “I think so, but Gideon won’t even look at the house. Practically became a shut in because she doesn’t want to deal with him. With them.”</p><p>“And your concern is?”</p><p>Jax sighed. “She’s Gideon. You know how she is, Grey. Keeping secrets from me. She’s as bad as Rip was.”</p><p>“And you.”</p><p>Jax blinked. “What?”</p><p>“It doesn’t escape me that whatever happened to Gideon a few years ago, when you asked us to look after Martina while she recovered, you never talked about it. Simply stated that the timelines were messed up again and it affected her.”</p><p>“Grey…” How could Jax tell him that he’d died in the original timeline? The man was the only father figure he had, he couldn’t lose him. Speaking the words aloud even seemed to be begging for trouble.</p><p>“My point, Jefferson, is perhaps don’t be so quick to judge.”</p><p>Nodding, Jax turned his attention back to the game. Easier said than done though.</p><hr/><p>“Hi there. I saw our children playing together, so I thought I’d come introduce myself. Rip Hunter.”</p><p>Jax stared at the outstretched hand and decided it was a better introduction than knocking them out and drugging them. He shook his hand. “Jefferson Jackson, but everyone calls me Jax. I saw you move in. We’re across the street, with the porch swing.”</p><p>“Ah, yes. I remember.”</p><p>Jax watched Teeny chase Jonas around the playground.</p><p>“Your little girl has a lot of energy,” Rip complimented.</p><p>“Yeah, my wife says she’ll be the reason for her grey hairs.” Jax laughed, remembering his own mother saying something similar. “I’m surprised she hasn’t scared off your son.”</p><p>Rip shook his head as he took the seat on the bench next to Jax. “We just moved here from London. I think Jonas is just excited to make new friends.”</p><p>“Sorry, we meant to introduce ourselves to the new neighbours but things just got in the way.” Gideon’s stubbornness and lack of communication skills.</p><p>“Quite all right. We’ve met now.”</p><p>Jax nodded. For the second time, he thought sadly. It was clear that Rip had no memory of what had happened before. The Bureau really had done a number on him.</p><p>Teeny squealed suddenly, leaving her chase of Jonas and ran past the bench. Jax stood up instantly as Teeny ran past him and into Gideon’s arms.</p><p>“Mummy!”</p><p>“Teeny, my sweet!” Gideon kissed her cheeks as she picked her up. She grinned at Jax, her face and footsteps freezing when she saw Rip sitting next to him.</p><p>Jax walked over to her slowly. “Rip, this is my wife, Gideon. Gideon, this is Rip Hunter, Teeny made friends with his son.”</p><p>“She did?” Gideon said softly.</p><p>Rip called his son over. “Rip Hunter, and my son, Jonas.”</p><p>Gideon nodded quietly, shaking his hand, her gaze falling on the little boy in front of her. “Y-you’re new here.”</p><p>“Yes, just moved. My wife is still unpacking.”</p><p>“I – we’ll have to meet her – another time.” Gideon stumbled over her words and stepped closer to Jax. He held her close.</p><p>“Yes, perhaps a playdate for these two?” Rip suggested hopefully.</p><p>“Yes! Pwease Mummy? Pwease?” Teeny begged Gideon with her big eyes.</p><p>Gideon looked to Jax and he squeezed her hand, silently assuring her he’d support any decision she made.</p><p>“Yes, of course, we’ll figure something out.”</p><p>“Excellent. Here, let me leave you my number.” Rip took out a paper pad and pencil, quickly scribbling something down and then tore out the page, holding it out to them. As Gideon stared blankly, Jax stepped forward and took it.</p><p>“Thanks, we should get going. It’s getting late and I gotta get started on dinner,” Jax said.</p><p>“Of course. We should go too, Jonas. Your mother probably needs help.”</p><p>They said their goodbyes and Jax walked his girls home, an arm around Gideon’s waist as Teeny tugged on their hands, distracting her mother with her babbling.</p><p>“Okay, baby girl, you gonna be a big girl and take a bath?”</p><p>“No!” Teeny shook her head, pouting at the thought.</p><p>“If you don’t take a bath there will be no dessert,” Gideon warned, taking off her heels.</p><p>Teeny whined and Jax carried her up the stairs. He ran the water and helped his daughter undress before placing her in. “You can play mermaid for a bit. I gotta go talk to your mom.”</p><p>“Okay.” Teeny was soon engrossed with her bath toys as it was. Jax laughed and kissed her hair before heading downstairs. He found Gideon sitting on the stairs, playing with her wedding ring and staring out into space.</p><p>Jax took a seat next to her. “It’s not like we gotta invite them to Sunday dinner just yet,” he joked.</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“He doesn’t remember us.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>Jax swallowed his pride. “We can always ask J’onn if he can restore Rip’s memories.” Or maybe he should have his own restored.</p><p>“Why would we do that?” Gideon asked shaking her head. “He’s happy without them.”</p><p>“But you’re not. You’re in love with him.”</p><p>Gideon’s jaw dropped. “Mr. Jackson, are you jealous?” she teased. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Is that what you think?”</p><p>“You never talk about the original timeline. Were you and him-”</p><p>“No, not like that.”</p><p>“But you love him.”</p><p>“He was my best friend once, Jax. For over a decade. I can’t just forget that.”</p><p>“And you’re in love with him. Or you were. Once.” Timelines and realities were always so scrambled and confusing.</p><p>“It’s complicated.”</p><p>“Try. For me, Gideon. Try.”</p><p>“I have fleeting memories of a kiss,” she admitted. “A ‘what if’ and nothing more. And it didn’t happen here.”</p><p>“Because he got his family back.” Jax knew that hadn’t happened originally.</p><p>“Nothing more would have happened there either. He left, he died. I mourned. It wasn’t much better there.”</p><p>“And you and me?” Jax asked quietly. “What happened with us?”</p><p>“I never even turned human,” Gideon whispered. “We never even got a chance, Jax.”</p><p>“But you did with him.”</p><p>“In an aborted timeline, an unreal reality.” Gideon squeezed his hand. “It doesn’t matter.”</p><p>“It does when you’re still in love with him,” Jax insisted. “I can see it in your eyes. The pain, the longing. You said you can’t hate him.” Even though she should have.</p><p>She cupped his face. “He was my best friend and now he doesn’t even know me. The little boy I loved as my own, doesn’t know who I am. I loved and cared and protected their family as best I could. I consoled Miranda when Rip went missing. I did everything for them and they left and it hurt. Not because they left, but because they had something worth leaving for.”</p><p>Jax waited for her to continue.</p><p>“I’m not in love with him, perhaps I could have been but it’s not love you’re seeing. It’s envy, for what he has. For what I didn’t and what you gave me. A family. A daughter. Love. A home. I wouldn’t dare give any of this up. There is no point in returning his memories, he’s happy as he is, he has his happy ending, and I have mine. Right here, with you.”</p><p>“You sure about that?”</p><p>Gideon kissed him. “Positive.”</p><p>Jax sighed softly, allowing his heart to relax as he held her. “I love you so much, Gideon.”</p><p>“I love you too. Don’t forget, when my life turned upside down, I came to you. You were my safe place. Always.”</p><p>“Yeah, I remember.”</p><p>Gideon kissed his cheek. “There was a reason I came to see you. Didn’t want to do it like this but…” She handed him a paper that he’d only just realized she’d been holding at the park and was on the other side of her on the stairs. “I got my blood tests back from the doctor.”</p><p>“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.</p><p>“Better than.” Gideon unfolded the paper for him to read the results.</p><p>One word jumped out at him. Positive.</p><p>“You’re pregnant?” he whispered in awe.</p><p>Gideon nodded, laughing with happiness. “Yes!”</p><p>He kissed her and whooped. “We gotta tell Teeny!”</p><p>“Well, maybe ease her into it. You know she doesn’t like change.”</p><p>“Gets it from you.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Jax pulled her to her feet and kissed her, touching her belly. “We’re going to have another baby.”</p><p>“We are.” She hugged him tightly. “Thank you.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>“The family you’ve given me. The life you’ve given me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”</p><p>Jax knew then that he never needed to remember what happened originally. She was the best thing to ever happen to him too. That was the only reality he needed.</p>
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